More Than Words
by HaldirAragorn
Summary: (This is Book 2 in a series. Book 1 is called "Starlight". Read it first!) Spike and friends, short on money again, get a tip on a good bounty. The ISSP hasn't yet discovered the identity of the Shadow Wolf, a high-profile cat burglar mainly interested in works of art. Jet's plan puts Jill, the newest member of the Bebop crew, in an important role for her first real bounty hunt.
1. Chapter 1

"Left!" Jill shouted, twisting herself around behind Spike in the Swordfish, keeping an eye on the last two of their pursuers while he expertly piloted the ship. He swooped left to avoid a missile, like she had said. "These guys are very persistent, Spike," she noted, clinging tightly to him. "What did you do to start this whole thing, anyway?"

"Why do you assume I started it?" he asked, playfully acting hurt as he zigzagged in between tall buildings to try to shake them off his tail.

"Trouble is kind of your middle name, hon," she teased, squeezing him around the waist. "I came back from the bathroom and every guy in the place was giving you the evil eye. You had to have done something…" She was in an especially good mood, despite the tight spot they were in. In the relatively short time she'd been with him, Jillian had quickly learned to trust in Spike's abilities to adeptly get them both into and out of trouble. But more than that, she had developed a love of flying fast in his little red racer, and couldn't help the giddy sense of glee she got whenever he'd take her joyriding.

"If you must know, I was trying to protect you," he said distractedly, banking quickly right into an alley. The small ship closest behind them couldn't maneuver quite fast enough and nicked its wing on the corner of a building, sending him careening off into a parked car. The other ship blew through the smoke plume of his friend's wreck with renewed vigor, hot on the Swordfish's tail.

"Protect me?" she repeated incredulously.

"They said… something rude. About you. I'm not going to repeat it." He seemed a little awkward, realizing it was probably a foolish thing to pick a fight over.

"Aww, Spikey," she said, leaning into him and nuzzling the back of his fluffy mop of dark hair with her face. "Were you defending my honor?"

"Yeah. So?" She could tell he was getting annoyed, which is usually what followed after embarrassment with him.

"Nothing. It's sweet. But you really don't need to go picking fights on my behalf."

He sighed. "This time I did. You're my girl," he grumbled through gritted teeth as he took a corner and sent the Swordfish sailing up straight into the sky, making a big loop to get behind the ship pursuing them, while charging up the plasma cannon. The G-forces pressed her tightly against him, the whole sensation causing her to laugh uncontrollably in sheer joy. He cocked his head to the side with a smirk and said, "You really like this, huh," before blasting the last ship out of the sky with his artillery.

She caught her breath and joked, "Oh Spike, it's almost better than sex."

"Hey..."

"What? I said 'almost'..." He laughed at her, and flicked both his wrists sideways on the controls, sending them into a barrel roll. "Woohoohoo!" she cried in exhilaration, holding onto him tight. Now he was just playing around for her entertainment, she was sure. But then he flipped some switches to make the ship hover in the sky, and began to get up.

"Your turn," he said, flipping a long leg over her head and switching places, now that the danger had passed. The Swordfish was really not designed as a two-person vehicle, but she liked how cozy it got in there. She grinned at him as he situated himself behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"By myself?" she asked, a little nervously. He had previously given her a few lessons on piloting his ship, but never alone. His arms were long enough that they could reach around her to the controls, acting as a set of training wheels, but he didn't appear to be helping this time.

"I'm right here. You know what to do. Listen to her, but don't let her push you around either. It's a delicate game of give and take. Now go, have fun." He kissed her temple and flicked the switches back to their original positions, making them start to free fall. She smiled and quickly grabbed the controls, starting out slow and steady until the muscle memory kicked in. She performed a couple maneuvers, earning a congratulatory remark and kiss to the side of her neck from Spike.

"Hey Spike, are you guys on your way back yet?" came Jet's voice over the comm system.

"Yeah Jet, just giving Jill some practice flying," Spike replied while rolling his eyes.

"Good, get back to the ship. We've got a job and I don't want to have to brief everyone twice."

"On our way," Spike affirmed, then switched off the radio. "Flying is easy. Landing is more tricky. Take us home, you can give it a shot."

"Okay…" she said, unsure of herself, as Spike nestled his face in the side of her neck.

"You'll be fine," he said with a gentle kiss just below her ear.

"Not with you being all snuggly and distracting," she retorted, smirking back at him.

"Mmm, did you get a new soap or something? You smell delicious."

She grinned, pleased he liked it. "Yeah, it's coconut. I didn't want to use yours all up." She turned the ship skyward, back to the Bebop, trying her best to focus on the task at hand. He certainly wasn't making it easy. He brushed the hair off her shoulder, tightening his arms around her, and grazed her skin with his lips. She smiled, tilting her head into him. "Spike… is this part of the lesson? Seeing how well I can land this thing for the first time ever while being incredibly distracted?"

"Hm. Yeah, we'll go with that," he said in between kisses and wandering hands.

"Spike…" Jill begged as the Bebop just came into view, resisting him with all her rapidly dwindling willpower. She tried to line up with the docking bay, but it was as if her mind wasn't even in the same galaxy. She was getting frustrated with herself. She wanted so badly to be able to return his advances, but she was stuck piloting, trying desperately not to get them both killed. Finally, she growled, "Spike! I can't. I'm too preoccupied. Take us in, and then...take me to your room."

She felt him grin against her now bare shoulder, Spike having pushed aside the lacy strap of her top. "Yes, my dear," he said facetiously, his voice deep and inviting, reaching out to take the controls from her. She breathed a sigh of relief as she let go, and then a devilish smirk came over her lips when she had a thought. As he was about to set them down on deck, she leaned back into him and ran her hand up the inside of his thigh. He inhaled sharply and the Swordfish jerked at an angle, scraping a wingtip against the deck. She cringed at the noise, not having intended for that to happen. Spike quickly recovered and set them down, but as soon as they were safely docked, his arms went firmly back around her and he tilted her head back against his shoulder. "You're gonna pay for that later," he teased her.

Sheepishly, she smiled and said, "Sorry Spikey. I didn't mean to."

He kissed her again. "It's okay. I forgive you," he said, opening the hatch as the wings folded up on themselves.

"It's almost like it's really hard to concentrate when someone else is being all sexy and distracting…"

"Hey, I took out four ships with you back here being so...enticing." He climbed up and out, and offered her a hand to follow him. She hopped down and stood in front of Spike, pressed between him and the Swordfish.

Looking up into his chestnut eyes, she smiled and draped an arm around his neck, suddenly struck with a common thought these days. "You're so beautiful, Spike," she said softly, touching his cheek. The corner of his mouth twitched into a smirk for a brief moment, until he leaned down and pulled her into a long and ardent kiss.

When he finally let her go, he met her gaze and asked, "My room, right?" She just nodded emphatically, prompting him to grab her by the hand and lead her inside the ship. They passed through the common room, where Jet and everyone waited for them to begin the mission briefing.

"Oh good. It's about time," Jet said, getting up from his chair. Spike kept right on going like no one was there, tugging her along by the hand, a determined look on his face.

Jill suddenly realized it was on her to come up with an excuse. "Uh, sorry Jet, just give us a few more minutes. I kinda messed up the landing, and we've got a couple things we need to, um, discuss real quick. He's really mad at me," she explained before being pulled down the hallway. She hoped it was good enough.

Jet growled and said, "Come on, you two...Spike! Get back here!"

"Hurry up! He won't let us leave until this meeting happens!" was the last thing she heard from Faye before Spike pulled her feverishly into his room and shut the door firmly behind them.

* * *

Jet impatiently tapped his foot on the floor as he looked at the clock. It had been long enough, he decided, getting up from the chair. "I've had it with those two just doing whatever they want whenever they want. There's a certain order to things around here," he said, shaking his head. "She started out as such a polite, sweet girl too, until Spike got ahold of her." She wasn't that bad, he corrected himself silently, she would just do anything to make Spike happy, and that was the problem. As he crossed the room, he saw Faye and Ed exchange a glance from the corner of his eye, surely plotting their escape. "You had both better be here when I get back, or I'm keeping your cut of the bounty," he said sternly, pointing his finger at Faye.

"Jet… come on, we've been sitting here for close to an hour! You can't do that!" he could hear Faye whine as he stomped down the hallway. Sometimes he wondered how any of them would survive if it weren't for him.

"Spike!" he bellowed, banging on the door. "Get out here! You've kept us all waiting long en–" The door opened abruptly and Spike slid out, closing it behind him again. He was tucking in his shirt and smoothing his hair, even though it looked just as messy as it always did. Spike glanced at him then looked away bashfully from his harsh gaze. Jet was no fool. He knew exactly what was going on, but didn't feel like addressing it right then. All he wanted was everybody in one place at one time.

"Sorry Jet. I'm ready. Jill's right behind me," Spike said, actually seeming genuinely apologetic. His demeanor softened in response, and they both turned down the corridor to the common room. Maybe he'd been too hard on him. He was still happy for them, after all, he just wished they could plan their alone time a little better.

Jet stopped him just before they reached the living room. "You've, uh, got some lipstick on your face there…"

Spike's eyes widened slightly and he quickly scrubbed it off with his cuff. "Heh, thanks." Jet nodded in amused acknowledgement and called the meeting in session as he took his seat.

"What about Jill?" Faye asked, "Why doesn't she have to be here?"

"I'm here!" Jill shouted as she stumbled into the room, trying to pull her unruly hair back into a short ponytail. "Sorry guys, I'm here. Go ahead Jet, do your thing, we're all listening." She squished herself in between Faye and Spike, carving out a spot on the couch. Faye looked slightly annoyed, but Spike put his arm around Jill and pulled her closer to him, giving Faye more room.

"Okay, finally," Jet began. "As I'm sure you all are aware, we're pretty much broke again. But I hopefully have a solution for that. I've got an inside tip on a high-yield bounty that hasn't yet made its way into the mainstream media yet."

"Sounds too good to be true," Faye muttered, rolling her eyes.

"It usually is," Spike replied quietly.

Jet sighed and retorted, "Then stay home. Jill and I will take this one."

"Me?" she asked.

"Yes. You're a vital part of this mission."

"Why's that?" Spike asked suspiciously.

"Ed," Jet said, motioning to her, now that he had secured everyone's attention. She sleepily turned on the viewscreen to display a picture and fact sheet of an obviously well to-do gentleman. "This is Emile de la Croix. He's a wealthy baron with a certain interest in classical art."

"What's he wanted for?" Faye asked.

"Him? Nothing," Jet answered, nodding to Ed and noting Faye's frustrated expression. A picture of a small wolf figurine came up on the screen as Ed lazily hit a button. "This is the calling card of the high profile cat burglar known as the Shadow Wolf."

"Oh!" Jillian interjected. "Yeah, he's been around for a while! I remember hearing about him back on Mars. He was known for stealing things that were supposedly unstealable. I heard he somehow got through randomly-generated laser field security once without ever setting it off. And he always left those little black wolves in place of the loot."

"Exactly," Jet said.

Faye snickered under her breath, "Sounds like someone's a fan."

"The ISSP hasn't been able to figure out who he is after all these years," Jet continued, "but that was before Radical Edward was on the case." He looked to her proudly, excited to explain Ed's brilliant involvement.

"You think he's this de la Croix guy, don't you," Spike interrupted, getting to the point.

"Yes, Spike," Jet sighed, unable to hide his disappointment with his partner stealing his thunder.

"What's it got to do with me? Why am I important?" Jill asked.

This briefing was not going as he planned, with everyone constantly interrupting. "Well, my friend, you're our 'in'. Ed found de la Croix's name on the confirmed guest list to the annual Tharsis City Fine Arts Gala in a couple days."

"I don't think I'm invited, Jet."

"But Jillian Arainai the crime syndicate leader would be," Jet said slyly.

"Hold on," Spike stopped him. Jet could already tell he didn't like where this plan was going. "You want her to waltz in there and use her false status to secure us an invitation? She's still got a price on her head, Jet."

"Like I said, nobody else knows about Emile being the Shadow Wolf. There's no reason any other bounty hunters would be there. Plus they'd have to figure out a way in, and the guest list is pretty exclusive." Jet could agree the situation wasn't ideal, but felt there was no other option, and the odds were on their side.

Spike scowled at him, then glanced at his girlfriend beside him. "I just don't like it, Jet. It's too risky."

"Since when are you the cautious one?" Faye said.

"Since it was revealed who would be put in the most danger," he snapped.

"I can do this, Spike," Jill added with a glimmer of confidence. Jet tried to hide his relief that she'd taken his side, knowing she was the only one of the team that would have a chance at changing Spike's mind.

Spike spoke softly to her, but Jet could see him pleading with his eyes. "No. It's too dangerous. We could run into all sorts of people who'd kill to get their hands on you."

"What else have we got, though? I can do this. I can help." She put her hand on his cheek and stared him down with her own determined plea.

Jet watched them tensely, mentally crossing his fingers. Finally Spike sighed loudly and turned back to Jet. "Fine. But she stays with me the whole time."

Breathing a sigh of relief, Jet agreed, "Fair enough."


	2. Chapter 2

Spike sat at the workbench in his loose lounge pants, cleaning his Jericho 941. He wanted to have everything in tip top shape for this mission, and he couldn't sleep anyway. This was really the first serious bounty they'd been after since Jill had joined up with them, and he wasn't sure if she was ready, especially with the leadership role Jet had placed her in. She had caught on fairly intuitively to her weapons training and lessons in Jeet Kune Do, and was even adept enough now to land some solid hits against him, but he couldn't shake this fear. Though it had only been several months, he couldn't remember what life was like without her, and was honestly scared to find out.

He heard someone behind him, and instantly recognized it as her signature light footed tread. "There you are," Jill said, entangling her arms around his bare shoulders, "I woke up in your bed and you were gone. That's the worst thing to wake up to." He thought it was cute how she still called it his room, when she never slept anywhere else now. It was like she wanted to give him his own space and not be too intrusive, but just couldn't bear to be away from him. It didn't bother him either way. He liked finding her sketches and things scattered amidst his own stuff, acting as little reminders that he was no longer alone in this world.

"Sorry. Couldn't sleep."

"You're really worried about this job, aren't you," she said softly, running her fingers through his hair.

He set his tools down, and swiveled around on the stool to face her, loosely holding her waist as he looked up into her sleepy green eyes. "Yeah. I can't let anything happen to you. I don't know what I'd do."

She smiled sweetly and took a step into him, pressing his head against her chest. "It'll be okay. Jet's right, the odds are in our favor. And if luck fails us, then my Spike will be there to save the day." He sighed, holding onto her tightly. He knew in her eyes he was some kind of legendary untouchable hero, but he didn't feel like one lately.

"There are some things even I can't protect you against." He looked up at her again, her expression wavering.

"What do you mean?" she asked, concerned.

His brow became knitted, contemplating how to tell her. "You know how I hate going back to Mars?" She nodded calmly. "It's because I once worked for the Red Dragon syndicate there, and everything on that planet reminds me of it."

"The assassins?" She sounded surprised and confused. "You were a hitman?" He just nodded hesitantly, bracing for her reaction. She moved back slightly, but didn't let go of him, still studying his face. He could tell the new information bothered her, and why shouldn't it? He was a criminal, responsible for unspeakable acts that still haunted his dreams to this day.

"What made you leave?" she finally asked.

He took a deep breath, readying himself to tell her everything. "I met a woman." He watched as her ears pricked up. He knew she'd been patiently waiting for this story, though he'd only ever mentioned it once a long time ago. "Her name was Julia. She was beautiful and kind and made me wish for a different life, away from all the killing and violence. But you don't just walk away from Red Dragon. We planned to escape and meet in a graveyard in the rain after I faked my death, and just go off somewhere to live our lives... But she never showed."

"I'm sorry," she said empathetically, holding him tight against her again, and managing to confuse him.

"You don't… think I'm evil? You don't hate me?" He wasn't quite sure how to react, as this wasn't the response he was expecting.

"You're not evil, Spike. The fact that all of it still bothers you is a testament to that. But I told you in the very beginning that your past is what makes you who you are now, and you're exactly who you should be. You're you, and to me, you're perfect. And you know I could never hate you, Spike, come on. Not ever." She smiled warmly at him, that smile that could still make him melt. He held her firmly, pressing his ear to her chest.

"I never believed lightning would strike me twice in one lifetime, yet here you are. Now you understand why I can't lose you?"

"Yes."

"It would destroy me."

"I don't know what I'd do without you either, Spike," she said, raising his face up to hers so she could kiss him. "But I'm sure as hell not going anywhere, and you are strictly forbidden to die, you got it? Me and you are gonna live forever."

He smiled at her determination, almost believing her. "I like this plan."

"I know, it's a good plan, right?" she said playfully. "Now come back to bed, love. Jet says we have a long day of prep tomorrow."

* * *

Faye had to admit she was excited about this bounty. Any mark that let her mingle with the rich and famous was a good one, in her opinion.

"Alright everybody, I've divvied up the last of our money between these cards. If we're going to con our way into a fancy party, we're going to need to look the part," Jet said, handing Spike, Jill, and Faye each a credit card. Faye struggled to keep herself from crying out in delight.

"I still don't see why we need to waste money on tuxedos," Spike complained, examining the sleeve of his blue suit.

"It's black tie, Spike," Jet replied, rolling his eyes.

"But I always wear a black tie."

"You're so cute." Jill chuckled at Spike's innocent comment while Jet just sighed, painfully aware he had a chore ahead of him.

"Okay ladies, meet us back here at the ship as soon as you're done. No side trips. Tharsis isn't the safest place after dark," Jet cautioned them.

"We'll be home before curfew, Dad," Faye said sarcastically before stepping off the Bebop. She waited for Jill to follow her, but saw that she was locked in an embrace with Spike. She rolled her eyes and prodded her along with, "Come on, little lovebird."

Spike pulled back but still had a grip on both her arms. "Be careful," he said, before quickly kissing her and letting go.

"You too. See you later, Spike," Jill said, then turned to follow after Faye, who'd already hailed them a cab. They both piled in the back seat, Jill smiling at her friend. "This is gonna be fun. I haven't bought any fancy dresses since before I met Dameon."

"Oh, have you been to one of these shindigs before?" Faye asked, a bit surprised.

"Not this particular one, no, but I actually had a bit of a career going before the whole Dameon mess. It required a lot of appearances at these kinds of snobby parties to promote my work."

"You were rich?" Faye blurted out excitedly.

"Me, not so much. My parents I guess you would consider rich. They kinda supported me so I didn't have to be the stereotypical starving artist."

"Hm. Must be nice," Faye said wistfully, thinking of her own past.

"Yeah, I suppose it was," she agreed, but with more than a hint of melancholy in her voice. "But I like living with you guys on the Bebop. It's way more fun."

"More fun than rich people parties?" Faye asked incredulously. She was sure she had to be teasing her. Who in their right mind would choose the Bebop over the easy life?

"Yeah, well everybody was fake and only cared about appearances," Jill added. "I never felt comfortable at them."

The taxi pulled up to a posh women's clothing store and pulled over. "Here ya go, ladies," the driver said. Faye hopped out quickly, looking up at the sign as she waited for Jill to pay the fare. They walked in together, surveying their surroundings.

"Okay, we can work with this," Faye said, walking over to a rack of sparkling evening gowns. She had always been drawn to things that glittered.

"What's your color, Faye?" Jill asked.

She thought a moment, flipping through the garment rack, until she found one and pulled it out. "I'm thinking...gold." She held it up for her friend to see, its smattering of rhinestones glimmering in the light across the bodice.

"Ooh, pretty," she said, sweeping her eyes across the goldenrod taffeta. "How's the price?" Faye cringed at the question, slowly turning over the price tag. Her heart sunk when she saw the numbers. "That bad, huh?" Jill asked, noticing her disappointment. "Let me see what I can find, maybe I'll come across a cheaper one and you can use what's left for yours."

"That's real nice of you, but we also need shoes and such." Still, she didn't give up hope as Jillian started flipping through the racks. Faye did the same, looking for a back up plan, until her friend quickly yanked one off the rack. It was midnight blue with a drapey, plunging cowl neckline, and made from Venusian silk which gave it a two-tone silvery shimmer.

She held it up, her eyes wide, then looked at the tag. "Yes! It's cheap enough!" Jill flipped it around for Faye to see. "Get your goldie, let's try these puppies on."

Faye paused a minute. Her math must've been off. "Wait, this is just about the same price as mine. How can you–" She stopped herself in the middle of her question, having just come up with an explanation. "How much did Jet give you?"

"Uh, a little over three thousand woolongs. Why?"

"That bastard," Faye said, making a fist.

* * *

"Haha, yeah, I gave your girlfriend the card with the most money on it," Jet laughed as he and Spike each stood on a small round dais, getting measured at the tailor's.

"You know Faye isn't gonna be happy when she finds out," Spike said, grinning.

"I know. But Jill's playing the part of the leader here, so it makes sense her clothes should be more expensive."

"Mm...I just hope she doesn't let Faye bully her into splitting the difference," Spike grumbled, standing up straight as the tailor strung a tape measure across his shoulders.

"Knowing her, she'd probably offer it up freely before Faye even got the chance."

Spike shrugged, agreeing with him. "True."

"Sometimes that woman of yours is too nice for her own good," Jet said, chuckling to himself. "But at least she watches out for her friends. That's not easy to come by these days. I can see why you like her. She's got a certain...spark."

Spike looked at him, smirking. "She's pretty amazing."

He smiled back thoughtfully. The man before him was not the same one that went into that abandoned school building all those months ago to bag a counterfeiter. This one was careful, passionate, and considerate. This one was better. Jet snorted, "Watch out, Spike-o, you're in deep."

* * *

Jill had decided she was never going shopping with Faye again. It was a good thing Jet hadn't split the money evenly between them, or she would've had barely anything to spend on her own things. As it was, she had been saddled with both cab fares, and foolishly volunteered to help Faye pay for her shoes and accessories. It was a good thing she herself had simple tastes anyway. She was supposed to be playing the lead role of the affluent syndicate head, but had decided to go with simple and elegant over lavish and ostentatious. She hoped in this particular case less would be more.

She wondered how Spike and Jet had fared. She couldn't wait to see Spike all dressed to the nines in a tux. That image had been her constant companion as she stood around waiting for Faye all day.

The whole ordeal had taken way longer than she had expected. As they got out of the taxi at the ship with their bags in tow, she could see the boys were already back. Jet was working on some maintenance topside and waved down to them as they approached, his thick dark silhouette illuminated against the Martian sunset.

"Hey, you're back! I was starting to worry," Jet said jovially.

"Hi Jet!" Jill called up to him. "Finding dresses was easy, but the shoes and everything else...UGH. Nightmare. Took forever."

"Got what you needed though?"

"Yeah, I think so. Is Spike around?"

"Last I saw him he was exercising on the bridge."

"Ooh," she said, darting inside. She loved watching him do that. He tended to be shirtless.

"Jet, you and I need to discuss a thing or two," Faye demanded, looking up at him. Jill was glad she had an excuse to miss that conversation.

She dropped her things in Spike's room and headed for the bridge, but found him staring out the windows at the setting sun instead of practicing his high kicks. She went up to him from behind, wrapping her arms around his toned stomach. "I missed you," she said breathily, already aroused just from touching him. She tried to kiss his shoulder, but he turned to face her with a grin and pulled her against him.

"Missed you too," he said, "What took so long?"

She sighed loudly and finished it off with, "Faye."

"She found out Jet gave you a bigger share, huh."

"Yep. Ended up giving her what I had left over." She looked up at him, smiling and shaking her head.

"You let her push you around, didn't you." He sounded a little aggravated, and she wasn't sure if it was aimed at her or Faye.

"Well...she's scary. And better with a gun than me. Besides, I had enough for what I needed."

"Want to give me a personal preview?" he said with a raised eyebrow, pulling her hips against him.

"Spike…" she said slyly, "You don't get to see until tomorrow. Never unveil your work until it's complete, it lessens the effect."

"Aww, Jill…" he whined.

"Nope. And promise me you won't peek in the bags in your room," she said, holding up a finger.

He grumbled, "I promise."

"Good. Now, speaking of your room," she began with a smirk, "you have fifty percent too much clothes on."


	3. Chapter 3

"What is taking those two so long?" Jet asked impatiently, directing the question to his friend lounging listlessly on the couch beside him, also dressed in a sleek black tuxedo.

"Said they had to do their hair," Spike muttered, tilting his head back to close his eyes.

"Women," Jet grumbled. "I'll never understand how it can take them hours to throw on some clothes and put their hair up. What, are they playing cards in there or something?" He had even taken the time to neatly trim his beard and cut his fingernails, and it took a fraction of the time they took. He had tried to convince Spike to run a comb through his hair, maybe even slap some gel in it to help tame that mop of his, but he was too stubborn to care, even when he'd mentioned how his girlfriend would probably appreciate that he'd put in the extra effort to make himself look nice.

"Mm-hmm," Spike mumbled, half asleep already.

"Your attention please, kind sirs!" Ed popped herself into the room, standing at attention, and motioning for the two of them to stand and join her as well. "Edward Wong Hau Pepelu Tivrusky IV has the honor of introducing your ladies of the hour."

"Ed, come on, we're kind of running late," Jet said, standing up anyway. Interestingly enough, Spike followed him up and around the couch, almost eagerly.

"Gentlemen...Miss Faye Valentine and Miss Jillian Arainai!" Ed bowed low as Faye boldly made her entrance first, her golden gown glittering like a skyful of stars. Jet had to admit to himself she looked pretty, her violet hair done up in simple loose braids.

"Lovely, Faye," Jet said politely as she strutted over to where he and Spike stood.

"Why, thank you, Jet. You look pretty classy yourself," Faye said.

"Beautiful…" Spike breathed slowly. Jet was surprised at his partner's favorable review of Faye's appearance, but when he glanced up at him, he saw that Spike's eyes were not looking at her. Jill had stepped into the room from the corridor, smiling shyly, with her gaze locked on Spike. Her silvery blue dress hugged all the right curves, but it was her shining green eyes that caught Jet's attention. It had been a long time since he'd seen a woman so in love. It was very becoming of her. When Spike grinned back at her with his eyes wide in admiration, she beamed blindingly at him and even Jet had forgotten what he was about to say.

He watched as she made her way to Spike, looking up at him and putting her arms around his neck. "You were right, it would've ruined the effect," Spike said, pulling her against him to kiss her.

"You look more dashing than usual, Spike," she said, running her fingers through his dark mane. "I was worried you'd do something different to your hair, like you had to conform with high society or something."

"Nope," he said, nuzzling her forehead.

"Good. You know I love your messy hair," she said slyly, twirling a lock on her finger.

"I know," Spike said arrogantly, smirking and looking knowingly at Jet, who rolled his eyes in aggravation.

"Okay everyone. We've got some final details to iron out, so let's get down to business," Jet announced, getting serious. They all joined him around the coffee table now that the fancy reveal was over.

"Okay, so… as we already know, Jill is calling the shots here. She'll be playing the part of what we all originally thought her to be: the master counterfeiter, leader of her syndicate of thieves and criminals. Treat her as if she were your ruthless boss. If she says to do something, you do it." He turned his attention to her, and continued, "You will need to use your position to get us in. Any way you can."

"Are you sure you're up for this?" Spike interjected, looking to his sweetheart next to him.

"I can be an actress when I have to," she replied nervously.

"Spike, as agreed, will be your trusted bodyguard. Once we find de la Croix, Jill will make contact and introduce him to Faye. He has a bit of a reputation as a ladies' man, so Faye can use that to her advantage. We need her to get him away from the party so we can apprehend him without causing a scene. Once you get us all in, I'll head to the back and be waiting in the courtyard, where Spike and Jill will meet me. Get him there, Faye, and be careful. The Shadow Wolf is known to be well-trained in acrobatics and hand-to-hand combat."

"Got it," she said confidently.

"Okay, any questions?" Jet asked, bringing the meeting to a close.

"What if something comes up that we didn't plan for? Like what if Faye can't convince him to go to the courtyard, and he wants to go somewhere else?" Jill asked.

"Then we just roll with it and react to what comes our way," Spike said reassuringly.

"Right," Jet agreed, getting up to leave.

"Like water?" Jill said, smirking at Spike.

"Exactly."

* * *

The four of them stood at the foot of the long stone staircase to enter the fine arts museum. Jillian stood shivering, even though the evening air was distinctly warm, as she watched the short queue of people make their way past the concierge.

"You two should be armed," Spike observed of the girls as they slowly began to climb the stairs, Jill taking her position in front of them.

"And where do you suggest we hide a gun in these dresses, Spike, hm?" Faye said, spreading her arms as if daring him to answer.

Jill's attention was elsewhere however, anxiously counting the remaining steps until everything would rest on her shoulders. She really didn't want to let them down. They had all accepted her willingly into their ranks, even though it meant smaller cuts from bounties and another mouth to feed. This was the first time they had really needed her help, and she was going to give it her best shot. She took a deep breath and stepped forward, into character.

"Your name, please?" the young doorman asked politely, holding a burgundy leather bound notebook and quill pen.

"Jillian Arainai," she said disinterestedly. She watched his eyes widen slightly in recognition, then become visibly agitated when he realized her name was absent from the book. She was relieved he'd heard of her. It would make the rest of this easier.

"Miss Arainai, I'm afraid… your name is not on my list." He swallowed and looked apprehensively between her and Spike, who took a step forward and stood over him imposingly.

"Dear boy," Jillian cooed menacingly, eerily smiling and calm as she got in close to him. She put her hand on his shoulder, making him squirm. "Do you know who I am?"

"Y-yes ma'am."

"Do you know what I'm capable of?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Don't you think you should let us inside? My friend here has such a short fuse, and it would be a shame if anything were to happen to such a fine young man as yourself." She gently ran a finger along his cheek.

The concierge glanced up at Spike, who reached inside his jacket while glaring at him. "Yes ma'am. Have a wonderful evening." Spike pulled out his pack of cigarettes, sticking one in his mouth as the three of them filed past. "Oh, um, I'm sorry sir, there's no smo–" Spike turned back to glower at him, causing him to lose his nerve and become suddenly interested with the next pair of approaching guests.

"Spike…" Jill said quietly, taking the cigarette from his lips, "Not now. We don't want any more trouble."

"I was just trying to intimidate the guy," he said defensively.

"I think he was already pretty well intimidated," Jet joked.

They wandered slowly through the crowd, Spike taking out his round pair of facial recognition glasses to help in the search for their mark, and Jet split off to make his way to the rear courtyard.

"I don't think he's here yet," Spike said once he'd scanned everyone.

"Well, I guess we wait," Faye sighed, "and mingle."

A familiar face caught Jill's eye from the other side of the room and her blood went cold, her hands automatically balling into fists. "I see someone I need to say hi to," she grumbled, leaving her companions to wonder what she was up to. She strode with purpose to a small group of women clustered around a tall blonde man. "Hello Dameon," she said intensely, approaching him from behind. The dawning recognition of her voice was painfully obvious on his face, as it lost all color and his blue eyes went wide.

"Dameon?" Spike repeated incredulously, following behind her. "Shit."

The fair-haired man turned to her to confirm his fear, then quickly tried to flee in the opposite direction, right into Faye, who had anticipated his flight and thus prevented his escape while shooing off his female companions.

"Jillian! Such a pleasure to see you again, darling!" he said, evidently deciding a different approach was in order as his expression switched from terror to delight with the flash of a broad, winning smile. "How long has it been, sweetheart?" he asked, taking her hand to greet her with a kiss.

"Two years, asshole," she said fiercely, yanking her hand away from him. "Most of which was spent chained to a chair as a prisoner, tortured unless I did what they said. I believe I can thank you for that." Her eyes were like daggers, boring into his very soul.

"Darling, please…" he begged, his eyes shifting between her and Faye. "They would've killed me…"

"You would've deserved it," Jill growled.

"Speaking of which, how are you back on Mars rubbing shoulders with the likes of these people? I thought you ran off with the boss's girl and a bunch of money," Faye asked.

"I work for Red Dragon now, in exchange for protection."

Spike stepped forward, his ears perking up. "Red Dragon? You were safer on the run."

Dameon seemed to have just noticed him, looking him up and down like he was evaluating his appearance. "I'm sorry, have we met?" Spike said nothing, just glared at him. The blonde man turned back to her as if he was an annoyance, and took both her hands in his. His eyes had a hint of actual sincerity in them, and it was the only thing that kept her from snatching them away again. His overly familiar demeanor obviously made Spike uncomfortable, as she could see him shifting his weight in her peripheral vision. "Darling, I am truly sorry for all the pain I may have caused you. I never wanted any of it, I swear. It has haunted me to this day. But look! It appears to have all turned out for the best, right? Here you are, all exquisitely dressed and as ravishing as ever." His expression became all innocent and hopeful, using his blue eyes to his advantage as they swept over her form.

"Yeah, no thanks to you," she said, the venom returning to her voice as she removed her hands from his clutches. "You up and left me in hell and ran off with some other girl! I'd probably still be there if it wasn't for Spike." Her words softened towards the end, and she glanced at him standing beside her, remembering that day when he rescued her from an unending nightmare. Spike met her eyes for a second, before she looked back and saw something click on Dameon's face.

"Spike, hm? This common thug, I presume?" he sassed her, motioning to Spike and raising an eyebrow. "The one who couldn't get his disheveled hair under control to save his life?" Dameon laid it on pretty thick, obviously jealous she had been able to replace him so easily.

Jill's eyes became narrow slits, years of anger boiling up inside her. Nothing Dameon could have said could hurt her now, but she was not about to let him talk about Spike like that. In a furious outburst, she hit him in the face as hard as she could. He was an easy target, caught completely unaware. His head flung back and his hands covered his nose, which quickly began to stream blood. "Spike is the only reason I didn't kill you first thing. He is so far your superior in every way. You're just not worth the effort...darling," she snarled satisfyingly.

He looked up at her with wide eyes, gawking at the blood covering his hands. "Bitch! You broke my nose!"

"Now try picking up girls, you jackass. Get out of here before I break something else of yours you might miss even more." He glared at her for a time, but ultimately conceded, grunting in defiance before running off toward the back of the building. She turned to Spike, who watched her with an impressed smirk.

"What was that about not wanting any more trouble?" he teased her.

"Sorry. Nobody talks about your hair that way. Damn that felt good though." It was then she realized how heated things had gotten, and how everyone in her general vicinity had stopped to watch the show. She looked around, suddenly horribly embarrassed, but then her rational side resurfaced as she took a deep breath. "What?" she prodded them loudly, directed at her audience. Most of them quickly huffed and returned to their conversations, but there was one whose interest she had evidently piqued.

"There's de la Croix," Spike said, noticing him as well.


	4. Chapter 4

Jet sat uncomfortably on the benches in the center of the empty courtyard, smoking a cigarette and waiting for Spike and Jill to join him. At least, he thought they were benches. They were an art museum's version of seating which valued form over function, unrecognizable masses of bronze set amidst even weirder fountains, the low lights casting odd shadows on the walls.

He hoped the mission was still going to plan. It was a big weight off his mind now that they had successfully made it in, not having been entirely sure the Bebop's newest crew member had it in her to be so intimidating and in charge. That was really her main purpose in the plan he had devised, not wanting to stress her out too much on her first real hunt. Spike and Faye could carry her from there if need be.

The sound of a door opening interrupted the monotone trickle of water from the fountains, along with his thoughts. He looked up expecting to see one of his companions, but instead saw an oddly-familiar, agitated man clutching his face, covered in blood. His first thought was that Spike had started a fight or something, and then he began to worry about the plan's integrity if that indeed was the case. The man saw him smoking and walked towards him, Jet trying desperately to place him in his memory.

"Any chance you've got one to spare?" he asked Jet, pointing at his cigarette as he sat on a nearby bench-sculpture.

"Sure," Jet said amiably, offering him his pack, "Looks like you could use one. Some kind of fight break out in there? Didn't think that happened at shindigs like this."

"Ehehehe," he chuckled, taking out his handkerchief to wipe up the blood with one hand while Jet helped him light the cigarette with the other. "Yeah, I ran into an ex-girlfriend."

"Heh, literally?" Jet's memory clicked and he finally recalled where he'd seen this man's face before. He wondered if he should apprehend him, but glanced at him again and figured Jill had already finished with him. He decided to play along a little more.

"She used to be so gentle and selfless," he said, taking a long drag, "I don't know what happened. Probably that ruffian she's with now."

"Oh, do I sense a hint of jealousy there, my friend?"

"No," he answered quickly. "No, I just...I don't understand what she sees in the likes of him, that's all." Dameon took a sudden interest in the brickwork of the courtyard floor, while tenderly cleaning up his face.

"Oh, it's probably got something to do with the fact that he'd walk through fire to get to her instead of selling her into slavery and running off with someone else." Jet witnessed the dawning of an ivory pallor overtake Dameon's face. He slowly got up, backing away from Jet like one would from a venomous snake.

"You're with her, too…" he said nervously.

"And she said you weren't all that bright," Jet chuckled.

"I see. Well then, it would seem this affair has little left to offer me tonight. I believe I'll be going now," he said, making hastily for the courtyard gate, "Thanks for the smoke."

* * *

Spike followed closely behind Jill as she and Faye made their way to the mark, doing their best to act as though they were merely wandering aimlessly through the crowd. He was glad he had the easy job as the muscle. The skills needed to thrive in this kind of environment was not the type of finesse he had or cared to acquire. He found himself enjoying watching his girlfriend work, however. He never would have thought she could be so graceful and stately, it was like watching a whole new side to her. The way she glided across the floor as people moved from her path was a bit mesmerizing to him. He had to remind himself more than once not to get caught watching her hips sway as she walked, the iridescence of her dark indigo gown making it very difficult to focus. That kickass display with Dameon earlier contributed to his spellbound state as well.

She stopped in front of a bronze sculpture of a young ballerina. "We'll let him come to us," she said quietly while examining the statue.

"How do you know he will?" Faye whispered.

"He's been eyeing us since he got here. Just follow my lead," Jill instructed, glancing furtively across the room to de la Croix, whom Spike observed had already withdrawn from his previous conversation once he had noticed they were staying in one spot and begun to make his way toward them. She looked up at Spike and began confidently, "This piece is among those rescued from Earth soon after the Astral Gate Accident."

He grinned at her briefly, then played along. "Do you know who made it?"

"Edgar Degas," she said, smirking and going off on a long lesson on the artist, Impressionism, and her interpretation of the work. Spike meanwhile watched as Emile approached, listening in on her lecture. "There's a great deal of tension in her pose, almost as though she's really not in the mood for this crap today."

"It would seem to be a common sentiment at this party," de la Croix interjected, attempting to gain access into their group. Jill and Faye turned to him and smiled.

"Heh, you saw that, huh," Jill said, extending her hand to greet him.

"Indeed. I won't suffer the same fate if I dare take your hand, will I?" he teased, smirking.

"Oh, haha, no. He was my ex. Ran off with another girl...among other things," she muttered, then took his hand.

"Such a foolish chap. Emile de la Croix," he introduced himself, leaning in to gently kiss her knuckles. Spike immediately didn't like his blue eyes or curly light brown hair, and especially didn't like his smarminess and how he looked at her.

"Jillian Arainai. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Oh, Jillian Arainai, hm? You've made a name for yourself," he said suavely. "You have quite the impressive resumé in the art world. Or should I say, underground market."

"Yes, well...in my line of business, if you're famous you must be doing something wrong."

"And so modest." Spike watched as her attempts at deflecting his admiration fizzled, until Faye noticed as well and stepped in.

"Jill, who's your new friend?" she said, much to Spike's relief, pushing her way into the conversation as she seductively looked him over while putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Oh, forgive me. Emile, this is my good friend Faye Valentine, and lurking behind me here is my personal bodyguard, Spike Spiegel," she said, smirking back at him.

He politely shook Faye's hand and said simply, "Charmed," then turned back to Jill. "Do you always travel with a crowd?"

She glanced at her two companions, saying, "I'm an artist, Emile. I like to surround myself with beautiful things." Spike made eye contact with Faye, who looked nothing short of frustrated, and faintly urged her to do something.

"It would appear we have much in common," de la Croix said, his gaze never straying from Jill.

"Emile," Faye began suggestively, "I wonder if you would be interested in giving me a… personal… tour?"

"I'm afraid I wouldn't know my Rembrandts from my Picassos, my dear. Look to your friend for that, but first, I must borrow her," he said. Spike saw her try to hide her surprise, really not liking where this was going. "I have a business proposition for you, Jillian, if you'd be so kind as to hear me out."

"Oh, um, okay," she said nervously as he took her arm.

"Good. Let us find somewhere more secluded," he said, leading her away. Spike followed close behind, until de la Croix stopped a few steps later and turned to him. "Mister...Spiegel, was it?" he said. "Could you give me a few moments alone with your employer here? She'll be safe with me, I assure you."

Seeing her on the arm of another man made his skin crawl, even if it wasn't by her choice. Before Spike could even think of an answer, de la Croix had led her off into the crowd, Jill looking back over her shoulder at him and mouthing the words "I'm sorry."

* * *

"Hurry up Spike, we've got to beat them out back," Faye growled, more than a little annoyed at having been overlooked so easily. She prided herself in her abilities to manipulate men and use her sex appeal to her advantage. To be pushed aside like that seriously hurt her ego and thus put her in a sour mood.

"This wasn't the plan," Spike grumbled, preoccupied as he followed her through the crowd.

"Tell me about it."

"The deal was she didn't leave my sight."

"Can it, loverboy. She's a big girl, she can take care of herself." Faye rolled her eyes at him as she pushed open one of the doors to the courtyard.

"It's about damn time," Jet said, getting up from his perch on a strangely shaped sculpture. "What happened? Where's Jill?"

"She's with de la Croix. Bastard wasn't interested in Faye," Spike pointed out, surely to rub some salt in her wound. She huffed and took her gun from Jet.

"Must be something in the air here tonight," Jet chuckled. "I happened upon our old friend Dameon a while ago, looking a little worse for wear. And boy was he envious of you, Spike!"

Faye had had enough. "Don't make me remind you guys that we are supposed to be preparing for a fight right about now," she said gruffly, taking cover behind a large bronze statue.

* * *

"Hold on, Emile," Jill said as they turned down a back hallway, tugging herself gently away from his grip in an attempt to stall for time so Spike and Faye could get set up with Jet. "What's this all about? Is it really all business?" She toyed with his collar and provocatively smiled up at him, though he was barely taller than she was in heels. She couldn't say he was entirely unattractive, but she didn't like the way he looked at her, although she couldn't quite figure out why.

"As much as I adore a woman who can take care of herself, and you are no exception," he said, putting his arm around her shoulders, "I rarely mix business with pleasure."

"Hm, a smart habit," she commented, relieved. "Then please, go on."

"Have you heard of the Shadow Wolf?" She smirked inwardly, pleased he had all but confirmed Jet's information.

"The cat burglar?" she asked, playing along.

"Such a crude term, that," he cringed. "But yes. I... happen to know him personally, and believe a partnership could prove mutually beneficial for both parties."

"Maybe you were right," she said, feigning interest, "this should be discussed in a more private setting. I suggest the courtyard.


	5. Chapter 5

Spike and Faye hid off to the side of the doors to the courtyard, ready to ambush their mark. Both had their guns drawn, while Jet leaned nonchalantly near the fountain at the center so as not to spook de la Croix right away. Spike was anxious, craving a cigarette, but wanted to be ready for them when they entered, and to get Jill away from Emile as quickly as possible.

After a few minutes, the center door opened slowly and de la Croix emerged, with Jill on his arm. They took several steps into the courtyard, until he saw something about Jet's appearance he didn't like and began to turn back. Spike quickly moved in, cutting off his escape and pointing his gun at him.

"You're a hard one to pin down, Shadow Wolf," Jet said mockingly, standing and cautiously walking towards him. Spike watched the mark, looking suddenly like a cornered animal. Before she had even had a chance to get free of his arm, Emile snatched up Jillian to hide behind, while at the same time pulling a gun of his own from his jacket. Spike stood unmoving with his pistol aimed at de la Croix, despite watching the expression of concern emerge on his girlfriend's face as she realized the position she was in.

"You've betrayed me," he growled in Jill's ear, pointing his gun in Jet's direction. "Sold me out to bounty hunters, hm? Do they know the price on your head?"

Faye shifted a couple steps to her right, trying to get a clearer shot. "Faye," Spike said, low and confidently, "let me handle this." She nodded and backed down, but still covered them with her gun.

"I suppose I should have guessed as much," de la Croix muttered to Jill again. "At least now that we won't be conducting business…" He licked the side of her face, causing her to squirm in disgust. Spike shifted uncomfortably, locking eyes with her captor. He desperately wished he could put a bullet in his perfectly coiffed head.

"Ah, I see…" Emile said slyly, turning his gun to Spike. "This is what happens when you surround yourself with beautiful people: you inevitably end up entangled with one." Spike realized then that de la Croix was a clever one, and he had foolishly given away too much in his reaction.

"No! Emile, please! Don't hurt him," Jill begged in desperation. Spike glanced around for cover, but found it would be a long sprint to the nearest bronze sculpture. "If you kill him, the rest of them will gun you down right here, and you won't have a chance. At least you'll be alive if you give up now."

"She's right, de la Croix. There's only two ways this can end: death or prison," Jet said, supporting her argument.

"Wrong. There's a third." Emile de la Croix glared at Spike as he turned his gun on Jillian and began slowly moving in the direction of the gate on the street side of the courtyard.

"Spike," Jill cried softly, her voice urgent and her eyes wide. Spike's heart sank as he watched her helplessly. He was too worried Emile would get a shot off, even if he was able to take him out first. He was frozen in place, trying to carefully consider the best course of action, but finding it very difficult to focus on anything but her terrified eyes.

"Jet…" Spike said uneasily, looking for advice.

"Just wing him," Faye interrupted with her suggestion, still thinking of the bounty.

"I can't," Spike hissed back, "he's got my woman." They were halfway to the courtyard gate by now, and he was getting anxious, following behind them as de la Croix kept her positioned between himself and Spike at all times.

"We'll get her back, Spike. Everybody lives to fight another day," Jet said.

"I am **not** letting her go," he growled angrily.

"She does seem like she would be a tough one to give up," de la Croix taunted him. "Those big green eyes, hourglass figure, ample…charms... and such an intoxicating scent, darling. What is that, coconut?" They had reached the gate, Emile keeping the gun to her side, but letting go with his other hand to unlatch the mechanism.

"It's okay, Spike," Jill tried to assure him while ignoring Emile's provocation. "I'll be okay. Those who keep calling me 'darling' on the other hand…" She took the opportunity while he was distracted with the gate to firmly knock the gun out of his hand, sending it skittering across the cement, while she tried to wrestle herself free from his now tightening grasp. He had his hand around her wrist, trying to pull her through the gate with him, his last bargaining chip. Spike, too, wasted no time rushing in, provoking him to let go of her finally and dash off into the night.

Spike quickly kissed her, then looked in her eyes. "You okay?"

"Yeah. Go get that son of a bitch." He grinned at her while holstering his gun.

"Spike," Jet said, tossing him a walkie-talkie, before he sprinted off in pursuit of the bounty.

* * *

"We'll try to keep him surrounded. You sure you can handle the Swordfish without Spike?" Jet asked as the three of them each climbed into their ships.

"Not anywhere near as well as he can, but I think I can manage." Jill really hoped that was true and not just blind optimism as she closed the hatch to Spike's little red racer. She really didn't want to make this a literal crash course.

"Good. Take it slow, and be careful," Jet said over the comms while his engines came online.

"You too." She fired up the Swordfish and took a deep breath, running through Spike's lessons in her head.

"Spike, you copy?" Jet asked through the radio.

"Yeah Jet," he said, prompting a sigh of relief from Jillian.

"Where are you?"

"...business district...heading west on...Daedalus Boulevard," Spike replied, sounding a bit out of breath.

"We'll be there in 45 seconds." Faye and Jet took off at full speed for his coordinates, with Jill right behind them. She was finding it easier to concentrate on flying, but she was worried about Spike going up against de la Croix alone. He seemed a clever one, prepared to go to any lengths necessary to get away. A man was never more desperate than when something threatened his preferred way of life. She feared what actions that might lead him to take against Spike.

Following Spike's signal, they came upon the two of them running down a back street and slowed their ships to follow behind. De la Croix, though much shorter than Spike, was somehow managing to outpace him. Jill watched in awe as he gracefully leapt over crates and stairways, climbing walls like he had sticky fingers, and dancing over obstacles as though he'd rehearsed a thousand times before. Spike meanwhile was keeping up, but even from the distance she was at, she could see his frustration in the way he moved. De la Croix knocked a couple boards loose as he ran past them that were leaning on the wall, and Spike angrily flung one of them out of his way. The other got tangled amidst his long legs, sending him toppling to the pavement.

Faye and Jet moved in on de la Croix, who had taken the opportunity to climb a fire escape ladder to the roof. Jill stayed with Spike, who motioned to her as he dusted himself off. She began to try and set the Swordfish down thinking he wanted to take over, but then Spike hopped on the side of the ship, clinging to the ladder rungs. He looked at her and pointed up to the top of the building where de la Croix had just disappeared onto. She nodded in understanding, carefully powering up the thrusters and rising from the ground again. The ship crested over the edge of the flat-topped building, and she watched as Jet and Faye circled around their bounty mark. Faye fired her guns in a horseshoe in front of him, effectively cutting off his escape, while Jet took up position behind him.

Jill was running through in her mind how to land, since she still had never actually done it on her own. She was glad now that she had always paid so much attention when Spike was piloting, despite his very distracting nature. Successfully setting the ship down on the roof, she turned to Spike while grinning proudly and nodding her head towards the controls, as if asking how she did. He chuckled and shook his head amusedly at her, then put his hand on the cockpit glass in a quick goodbye before hopping down to the roof.

Emile de la Croix stood defiantly between Faye and Jet, both their ships blocking him in as Spike approached. Jill popped the hatch and began to get out, hoping to offer some kind of assistance if needed, though she wasn't sure how much help she could be in that dress with no gun. She just stood off to the side, watching.

"This is it, Shadow Wolf. Give yourself up," Jet said over his loudspeaker.

"He's right," Spike agreed coldly, coming to a stop a couple yards in front of de la Croix.

"It's not over yet, Spiegel," Emile said menacingly, putting his fists up and taking a stance.

Spike smirked cockily at him. "If that's how you want it."

He came at Spike, who dodged out of the way, easily able to see his attack coming since he was so far away. Spike landed a hit to his right shoulder blade, but Emile was able to absorb it into a twirl, spinning himself around and whipping his left foot across Spike's cheekbone. Spike whipped his head back around, fire in his eyes as he glared at his enemy. Jill watched his movements as though it was a dance, smooth and rhythmic, his style very different from Spike's, but somehow reminiscent of it at the same time. He never stopped moving, confusing his opponent like a snake charmer's motions. She found it very hard to tell his regular actions from when he was attacking. Spike on the other hand was the cobra, waiting patiently for an opening before striking like lightning. As Emile came after him again, dancing back and forth, Spike hit him with an uppercut to the jaw. He reeled back, nearly put off balance, but turned his momentum into a sideways tumble to put some distance between the two of them. Spike, however, had anticipated his withdrawal and followed through along with him, kicking him in the chest hard enough to knock the breath out of him.

Faye had also landed her Red Tail and climbed out, drawing her gun. Jill guessed the fight was taking too long for her liking and she had gotten bored. Emile had retreated far enough back that she had moved in, pointing her gun to his head as he caught his breath.

"Faye, no. Don't get in close." Spike said cautiously.

"Surrender, Emile," she said, ignoring his warning. Jill's nerves were on edge, slowly making her way toward Spike.

"Sorry, sweetheart, that's not going to happen," de la Croix said right before performing a very quick maneuver to disarm Faye. He leaned back, out of the way of the barrel, then grabbed her arm and twisted it, while smoothly snatching the gun right out of her hand and shoving her hard to the ground. Jill felt like she was watching in slow motion as he raised the gun in Spike's direction, unable to move. Her eyes widened and she reached out her hand for him, but she was frozen in place, completely powerless to do anything to save him. Spike took off like a bullet towards her as she heard three shots ring out, the last one evidently hitting him just as he leapt for her and sending both of them into an uncontrolled spinning fall to the ground.

"Spike!" Jill cried, coming to rest on top of him. She knelt over him, frantically holding his face in her hands. "Are you alright?" He winced, nodding and reaching for her. She agitatedly unbuttoned his jacket, searching for his wound. Judging from the blood and the holes in his shirt, it looked like the bullet had gone right through his left shoulder, just below his collarbone. She put pressure on both sides of his shoulder to help stop the bleeding.

"No! No, no, no, Emile, you asshole!" Faye screamed suddenly, prompting a quick glance from Jill to see what the fuss was about.

De la Croix had climbed up into Faye's ship and was taking off. Jill had lost interest in him, however, now that Spike was shot. She took the radio from Spike's pocket and said urgently, "Jet, Spike's hurt. We need to get him back to the Bebop."

Faye rushed over, snatching the device from her hand. "No Jet, we need to get my ship and my gun back first!"

"Faye, come on, he's bleeding everywhere!" she argued back.

"He'll be fine. He's always fine. Let him sleep a couple days and he'll be good as new. But if we don't hurry we're gonna lose my ship!"

"Don't worry about the Red Tail, Faye," Jet said assuredly. "I installed a tracker on it a long time ago."

"You what?!" Faye did not sound amused.

"How do you think we always find you whenever you run off?" Jet chuckled. She literally growled and looked around for something to throw.


	6. Chapter 6

"Well, guess that's it for this tuxedo," Jill lamented. "You looked so damn good in it, too." Spike laid on the couch back on the Bebop, while Jill tended to his shoulder, Jet and Faye having gone to the bridge to track down de la Croix. He was no stranger to pain, but he had to admit she was much more careful and gentle when patching him up than Faye when she used to do it. The sight of blood didn't really seem to bother her much, and she had a very steady hand, no doubt a byproduct of her artistic training. She peeled off his jacket and set it aside on the floor, then worked at unbuttoning his blood-soaked shirt. He watched her, his eyes tracing over every curve of her face, the waves in her hair, the gentle cascade of her dress from her shoulders down to her breast.

"You're so beautiful," he said. She paused a moment from untucking his shirt to grin at him.

"Spike," she said, smiling coyly. "What's going on in that pretty head of yours?" He smirked and ran his palm along the side of her stomach to rest on her thigh. His eyes darted back up to hers, and she grinned. "Ah, I see," she said, leaning down close to him and placing her hand on the side of his neck. "Not a good idea, I'm afraid. I just got it to stop bleeding, Spikey. Don't want to get your blood pumping hard again." She kissed him slowly, her fingertips wandering down past his chest to his ab muscles.

"You're certainly not helping, then," he said, grinning. She snapped up straight, evidently realizing her lapse in self-control.

"Sorry! You're so damn irresistible. I see skin, I want to touch. Can't help it." She continued to free his shirt from the waistband of his pants. "I'll be good though. I don't want anything else to happen to you."

He smiled faintly and watched her as she gently dabbed at his shoulder with a towel. Something struck him just then, as her previous words echoed around his head. "I love you." Her eyebrows furrowed for a second as she froze and looked at him. "I don't think I've ever told you, but… you should know, in case anything ever does happen to me, I don't want you to wonder."

"I know, Spike. I see it every time you look at me."

She had placed her hand to the side of his neck again, and was leaning down to kiss him when they both heard a noise. They turned their heads quickly in the direction it came from. "Mmm…" Ed sighed softly, sitting on the floor behind the table, her chin resting on her hands with a dreamy look on her face, and Ein with his little front paws up on the table, watching them as well.

Spike felt Jill jump in surprise, and she cried, "Oh my god Ed! You scared me."

"Mmm...Spikey love Jilly. Jilly love Spikey?" Ed asked, watching her for an answer. Spike turned to her as well.

Jillian smiled at him, moving in closer. "Yes, Ed. I love Spike. More than words can say," she said softly before kissing him.

"Oooooh," the girl said. "Let Ed try." Ein whimpered in response.

Spike's eyes widened when he realized what she meant. Jill giggled at his reaction and said, "No, Ed. Spike's mine. You'll have to find your own."

She hopped up and bolted for the bridge, yelling, "Jeeeeettt!"

Jill turned slowly back to Spike, cringing. "That's not gonna go over well."

* * *

"He didn't get very far. Looks like he's on a collision course with Deimos," Jet said curiously, plotting their course to intercept de la Croix. Jet figured he'd be halfway to Jupiter by now.

"A collision course? Why isn't he correcting it?" Faye asked.

"Maybe there's something wrong with the ship. Navigation malfunction, thrusters failure...who knows."

"Oh no. It's not because of my ship. I keep her in tip top shape." Jet had a really hard time not bursting out in a fit of laughter. Like she's ever done any kind of maintenance to that thing...

"I'm picking up a distress signal from him. Looks like we can make it before impact."

"Good. I really would love to punch this guy in the face just once before we turn him over to the police."

"I'm with you there. He's caused an awful lot of fuss."

"JEEEEEETT!" Ed came running in, screaming. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end, thinking something terrible had happened. She stopped in front of Jet, then leapt up on the chair beside him. "Ed loves Jet!"

* * *

Spike sat up straight so Jill could bandage him up, now that she was done cleaning his wound. It didn't look so bad now, all cleaned up. She carefully wrapped bandages over his shoulder and under the opposite arm, like a sash, until it was good and covered. "How's that feel?" she asked him.

"Not bad. You're getting pretty good at this," he replied, testing out his arm movement. He hissed through his teeth and stopped when he found the motion painful.

"Yeah, well, you've gotta stop getting yourself hurt. You're giving me too much practice," she teased him. "Take it easy for a bit, though, okay? I'm not actually a doctor, so if you mess it up worse I won't be much help." She always worried about that with him. He didn't seem to understand the words 'take it easy' when his mind was already set on something, and they had no money left to pay for a real doctor.

"Okay," he agreed reluctantly. "As soon as we get this bounty. Then we can afford to take some time to relax."

"Spike…" she started to admonish him.

"We should go up to the bridge to see what Jet's found."

She sighed, knowing she'd lost this time around. "Alright, but let me help you."

"Fine," he groaned playfully, giving her his hand. She took it and carefully pulled him up from the couch, then wrapped his good arm around her shoulders and held him with her other arm. "I'm okay, really. I don't need help walking."

"Oh. Well, what if I just want to be close to you? You know, because you don't have a shirt on and such?" she said sheepishly, loosening her grip on him a little.

He smirked and shook his head. "Okay, if you really want to."

"Yep, I do." They began to make their way down the corridor as they heard Jet yelp and Faye burst into maniacal laughter. Moments later, Ed rushed past them going in the opposite direction. Spike and Jill shared a look before stepping up onto the bridge.

"What was that all about?" Faye cackled.

"No one knows with Edward," Jet grumbled, wiping his mouth.

"What'd she do?" Jill asked innocently.

"She kissed me!"

"Haha, why would she do that?" she said, looking to Spike, whom she noticed had her lipstick smeared on his lips. She glanced at Jet, intending to wipe it off before he noticed, but she saw his eyes narrow as he latched onto the same detail. She gave him her very best pious expression in return instead.

"I have absolutely no idea…" he muttered facetiously, staring at Spike.

Faye finally caught on, pointing at Spike and roaring with laughter again. "Monkey see, monkey do!" she managed to get out through her giggles. Spike let go of Jill and quickly rubbed at his mouth.

"Yeah, yeah...so what'd you find out about de la Croix?" Spike asked, changing the subject.

"Well, Romeo," Jet began, earning a few more snickers from Faye, "he's drifting right into Deimos. We picked up a distress beacon from the Red Tail, and we're on our way to intercept."

"How long?" Spike wondered curtly.

"Six minutes."

"Why does this smell so much like a trap?" Faye said cautiously.

"Because it probably is. I'm going to open the bay doors and scoop him up onto the flight deck. You guys get ready with some hardware pointed in his direction. And don't forget, he's still got Faye's gun."

"Got it, Jet," Jill said, following Faye towards the shipbay. "Spike, are you up for this?" she asked him.

"There's no way you're going without me."

She smirked. "Didn't think so. Just go easy on your shoulder, okay?"

They stopped off at the workshop to pick up a few more weapons before quickly donning their spacesuits. Jill really didn't like the couple times before she had used hers, an old hand-me-down of Faye's. There was nothing wrong with it, she had just wanted an excuse to buy a new one in a better color. But Jillian couldn't care less about what color it was, as long as it did what it was supposed to do. As much as space travel still fascinated her, she could think of very few ways she'd hate to die more than drifting off into the dark void of space, alone, and either suffocating or freezing to death. At least they were staying inside the ship this time. Hopefully.

"You alright?" Spike asked her, noting her apprehension as she checked and rechecked everybody's suits.

"...Yeah," she said nervously, looking over at him. The sight of him helped calm her nerves. He looked adorable in his red space suit, so tall and thin, with his fluffy hair all crammed into a helmet somehow. She always found amusement in that, at least.

Spike squeezed her hand, then took up position, the three of them making a big triangle on the deck. "You guys ready?" Jet asked over the comms.

"We're ready. Let's get my ship back," Faye said, bracing herself. Jet began to open the bay doors, and Jill could see the Red Tail just outside, closing fast. All the air around them was sucked out into space, pulling them with it had it not been for their magnetic boots.

"Let me know as soon as it's clear so I can shut the doors again as fast as possible so you'll be able to use your guns if you need to," Jet said. The Red Tail was close enough now that Jill could see de la Croix anxiously fidgeting inside. She wondered if he'd figured out yet who was rescuing him. She hoped not, since he was still able to fire his gun, though probably only once, even if it meant punching a hole in Faye's ship, the only thing keeping him alive until Jet closed the doors again and normalized the atmosphere.

"Got it," Jill said. The Red Tail drifted slowly into the open doors, until the magnetic deck took hold of it and pulled it tightly on board. "Now, Jet!" De la Croix waited until the bay doors latched and the air pumps slowed to pop the hatch on his craft, coming out with his hands held high. They cautiously moved in a little, their guns at the ready and still encircling him with Faye at the rear.

"Ah, so my rescuers are now my captors," Emile said, realizing their identities, then turned to Spike with a cocksure smirk. "I was fairly sure I shot you."

"I'm a fast healer," Spike replied snarkily.

"What'd you do to my ship?" Faye asked, concerned.

"Nothing. It ran out of fuel almost immediately after I broke free of Mars' gravity. I assume I have you to thank for that, Faye, my dear?" Jill and Spike quietly snickered, relishing the chance to return the sentiment from earlier.

"Shut up! I would've had enough to get back. I didn't know I was going to be chasing you all over the damn planet," Faye said in her defense.

"Get his gun," Spike said, nodding to Jill. "Don't you dare try anything, or I'll shoot you in both kneecaps. That'll end your cat burgling days real quick."

Emile sighed, "I prefer the term 'art collector'."

Jill eyed Emile as she slowly approached, reaching inside his jacket to pull out Faye's pistol. She began to back away with it pointed at him, but he quickly performed a fancy maneuver to snatch the gun right out of her hand and pull her tightly to him, aiming it at her. Again.

"Oh for crying out loud, dude," Jill said exasperatedly. "Where do you learn these damned moves?"

"I've got quite a repertoire, sweetheart. Not all of them are for combat, either. It's a pity you won't be able to experience any of those. Now drop it, Spiegel."

"Ugh, Spike, just shoot him. I'm so sick of this guy's ego," she said, just fed up with him at that point.

"If he shoots me, that'll be the end of you, angel," Emile reminded her.

"At least then I wouldn't have to listen to you," she sassed him.

"So fiery. So fearless. But you have the same weakness as your dear Spike: each other." He cocked the hammer back on Faye's gun, pressing it against his hostage's helmet. Her eyes widened when she realized he wasn't playing anymore.

"Okay… okay," Spike said, lowering his gun. "Just let her go."

"Ah, see? Threaten one, the other cowers in fear. Put it on the ground." Jill knew as soon as he set his gun down, Emile would turn his on Spike. She worked on coming up with a plan, maybe knocking his gun away again. He'd probably expect it this time, though. Maybe she could try a move to trip him and snatch the gun away from him as he fell.

While she was thinking through her options, she heard a sharp hissing noise from behind her, and could see a thick greenish cloud quickly enveloping her and Emile. Its effect was wasted on her, the space suit and air tank she was wearing completely protecting her from its noxious fumes, but de la Croix's grip on her quickly went limp as he fell into an unconscious pile beside her. She turned around to see Faye holding a canister of her knockout gas. "He really does like to hear himself talk," Faye said.

Jill breathed a huge sigh of relief and kicked the gun away from Emile's yielding hand before giving her friend a big hug. "Faye! Thank you. That was brilliant!"

"I know," she sighed, casually inspecting her nails, even though they were inside gloves. "If it weren't for me, Spike, you'd be single again."

"Don't be so sure, Faye. I would've thought of something."

"Give her some credit, Spike. Her way meant nobody got hurt. But we should get him tied up before he comes to." She bent down to flip him over. "Jet?" she asked, flipping on her radio.

"Yeah Jill. How'd it go?" Jet wondered.

"Good. Faye got him with knockout gas, but he's… kinda knocked out. And heavy. Can you help me and Faye get him out of here and tied up? Don't want Spike to mess up his shoulder any more than it is."

"Be right there."

* * *

Jet tugged at the ropes they'd used to lash de la Croix to a steel railing in the common room, making sure the knots were good and tight. He hadn't dared putting him somewhere out of the way, worried that with as slippery as he's proven to be, he'd escape somehow without constant monitoring. Jill had quickly taken the liberty of gagging the thief with a cloth rag in the event that he woke prematurely.

He had already put in a call to the police to come pick up a bounty. Now all they had to do was sit back and wait to get paid. Spike had beaten him to it, reclining across his girlfriend's lap on the couch, with Faye sprawled in the chair. Everyone still wore their new clothes, though Spike's bloody shirt and jacket were in a heap on the floor next to them as Jill affectionately stroked at his hair. Ein rested on top of Edward, as she lay on the floor with her computer. They all looked pretty exhausted now that the adrenaline-fueled mission had come to a successful close.

"They'll believe us that he's really the Shadow Wolf, right?" Faye asked.

"Oh yeah. Ed's got all her evidence in a neat little package ready to send along with him," Jet assured her, lighting up a cigarette as he perched on the edge of the couch.

"I'm a little worried he'll squeal on me. We should probably make space tracks as soon as he's out of our hands," Jill said anxiously.

"Ed included her research into your case. It should hopefully clear your name," Jet said.

She smiled. "Really? Thanks Ed! What would we ever do without you?" Ed briefly grinned back with a giggle and returned to her game.

"So what was it that caused him to lose control of the Red Tail, anyway? Did you guys happen to find out before you gassed him?" Jet wondered, looking between each of them for an answer. Spike glanced up at Jill for a moment, his head still in her lap. Jet then turned to Faye, who reliably had something to say about everything, but she remained suspiciously silent.

"Nothing, Jet. It was just a trap, like Faye said," Spike finally explained, reaching his good arm up to brush a strand of hair away from Jill's face.


End file.
